News &amp; Features - December 2009

Medical marijuana sits atop the bud bar at B-Herbal Day Spa and Wellness Center. Owner Timea Beezley was paid a visit by Larimer County Code Enforcement and told to close her medical marijuana dispensary by Monday.

Larimer County code enforcement paid Mary Janes Wellness Center owner Anthony Krepel a visit, telling him he has to shut his doors by Monday. The county says that medical marijuana dispensaries in unincorporated Larimer County are operating illegally and cannot continue to operate without a special exception which is no longer available after a moratorium put in place last week.

Deserie tries out the blinds in her 14-year-old son Eli's room Wednesday in their new home that's being built by Loveland Habitat for Humanity Women Build. Deserie, her family, Habitat staff and the Women Build volunteers will all celebrat with a dedication at 10 a.m. Saturday.

Colleen Kelly of Loveland walks in North Lake Park on Tuesday with a 15-year-old German shepherd/Australian shepherd mix named Bear and a five-year-old boxer named Tom who was adopted from a rescue by Kelly's son Ian Wigington before he shipped off to serve in Iraq.

Christmas lights decorate a house in southwest Loveland at 6006 Jordan Drive.

Member of the Happy Hatters Berta Wagar sips tea during a lunch at the McCreery House during the group's monthly meeting.

McCreery House owner Linda Stotz, left, talks with members of the Happy Hatters club as they have lunch on Wednesday at the historic house. The group, which meets every month at a different location, brought toys for the Santa Cops toy drive.

A Loveland Police SWAT officer and a patrol officer help a man into a squad car after SWAT members surrounded an apartment he was in on Wednesday at Thompson Valley Apartments at 1451 10th Street Southwest. Police suspect the man robbed the Mini Stop at 1039 S. Lincoln Avenue with a revolver.

Members of Loveland SWAT team train their guns on an apartment at Thompson Valley Apartments where a suspect in the armed robbery of the Mini Stop at 1039 S. Lincoln Ave. was inside.

Members of the Loveland SWAT team prepare to enter an apartment on Wednesday at Thompson Valley Apartments at 1451 10th Street Southwest. A man who police suspect robbed the Mini Stop at 1039 S. Lincoln Ave. was arrested without incident.

Asplundh Expert Tree Co. foreman Andrew Freese and trimmer Mario Gutierrez trim a locust tree in North Lake Park Tuesday afternoon as temperatures hover in the single digits. Since 7 a.m., the two had been cutting dead sections from the park's trees.

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Members of the Associated Veterans Honor Guard stand with their rifles while taps plays after performing a 21-gun salute outside the American Legion Post 15 in downtown Loveland as part of the Pearl Harbor Day ceremony. From left are Willard Bailey, Ron Mutka, Roger Warden and Jerry Pharris.

Sharon Sheets leads a crowd gathered at the Rialto Theater in sing-along Christmas songs during the 'Tis the Season Community Sing-Along on Sunday.

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A wooden model of the battleship USS Arizona belonging to Loveland resident Larry Sather, Sr. was on display at the American Legion Post 15 during the remembrance ceremony for Pearl Harbor Day on Monday.

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A wooden model of the battleship USS Arizona belonging to Loveland resident Larry Sather, Sr. was on display at the American Legion Post 15 during the remembrance ceremony for Pearl Harbor Day on Monday.

Gladys Rowand talks about her nearly 100-year-long life during an interview Monday at The Courtyard of Loveland assisted living center. Rowand grew up in Damascus, Ohio, and worked at a Buick dealership for much of her life before moving to Loveland near her family. Rowand turns 100 today.

Kristie Crites of Fort Collins touches her six-year-old son, Teagan's head as he looks at a gingerbread house by Loveland artist Blair Muhlestein during the Loveland Lights event at the Loveland Public Library on Sunday. The gingerbread houses were auctioned off to benefit the Firends of the Loveland Public Library's capital campaigne.

Joe Huggins hugs his 11-year-old daughter Amanda as the two and Amanda's brother Alec, 18, hold a press conference on Sunday at their home in Fort Collins. Amanda alerted three other siblings who were in the house to an early morning fire on Saturday that started in the fireplace in the family room.

Mary Turba, back, and Tanya DeGeal look at gingerbread hous es on display at the Loveland Public Library on Saturday. Visi tors could vote on the house they liked best and there was also a silent auction to purchase the houses with proceeds going to the library expansion project.

Shavings of ice fly as Michael Pizzuto works on an ice sculpture depicting Santa Claus on Saturday in Thompson Park during Winter Walk in downtown Loveland.

Michael Pizzuto of Denver chats with youngsters while carving an ice sculpture of Santa Claus on Saturday at Thompson Park in downtown Loveland during the Winter Walk event. From left are Pizzuto, Marcus Aguilar, 5, Javier Aguilar, 7, Amanda Rutledge, 5, and Isabella Aguilar, 4.

Fifth graders at Resurrection Christian School gather around a large pile of gift boxes and give thanks Thursday after collecting more than 2,200 boxes as gifts for poor children through Operation Christmas Child. The fifth-grade leadership team set a goal of collecting 2,017 boxes since they will graduate in 2017 and beat last year's record of 1,007 boxes of gifts.

Art Koldeway, right, talks with Lt. Jason Starck of the Loveland Fire and Rescue Dept. as firefighters and others carry boxes full of papers and office furniture outside after Koldeway's building, located at 2530 Abarr Dr. , was flooded when a fire sprinkler system pipe burst.